The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sheikhupura to initiate departmental action against former DPO for committing patent illegality in a case of a French woman Peggy Collin seeking custody of her child.
Peggy has sought recovery of her seven-year old son Omar Malik from the custody of her former Pakistani husband Ashfaq Malik, resident of Sheikhupura. On Monday, District Police Officer (DPO) Sheikhupura Zaeem Ahmad appearing before the court stated that the previous DPO Munir Chishti, who had traced out the child and his father, had illegally handed over the custody of the child to his father, though the DPO should have brought the child and his father before this court, for handing over the child to his mother.
The RPO present in the courtroom also undertook to take departmental action against the delinquent police officer. The RPO further undertook to produce the child on next date of hearing as, he told, police got certain clues about the child and his father.
The judge adjourning the proceedings till October 8 directed the RPO to associate the counsel for the petitioner in "Search Process." It may be noted here that in this case the Sheikhupura police had been seeking time from court for the recovery of the minor but could not accomplish the task so far.
The French woman has sought recovery of her son, Omar Malik, who had allegedly been detained by her former husband Muhammad Ashfaq. The hectic efforts of the police to recover the minor failed and they placed the names of Ashfaq and Omar on Exit Control List (ECL). The international warrants of arrest issued by French Court against Peggy's ex-husband have also been circulated to all concerned authorities for his arrest.
As per details of the case, Ashfaq and Peggy met in London and fell in love. They moved to Lahore where they contracted marriage on August 1, 1995. Peggy then went to France and her husband soon followed her. She gave birth to a male child on August 6, 2000 in France, and during that period Ashfaq attained French nationality. She said their relations became sour after her husband took the child to Pakistan in 2001. He only brought the son back when she moved the French courts. Later, Ashfaq divorced her in February 2003 and kept the child with him.